Patentable/Patents/US-8009083
US-8009083

Detection and ranging apparatus and method of designing detection and ranging apparatus

PublishedAugust 30, 2011
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A method of designing a detection and ranging apparatus having an M number of transmitting elements and an N number of receiving elements, includes decomposing a desired polynomial equation representing an array factor of a K element sensor array into a first polynomial equation representing an array factor of an M element sensor array and a second polynomial equation representing an array factor of an N element sensor array, determining arrangement of the M number of transmitting elements based on the first polynomial equation, and determining arrangement the N number of receiving elements based on the second polynomial equation, wherein K=M×N, or K≧max(M, N).

Patent Claims
16 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method of designing a detection and ranging apparatus having an M number of transmitting elements and an N number of receiving elements, said method implemented on at least one computer, the method comprising: decomposing a desired polynomial equation representing an array factor of a K element sensor array into a first polynomial equation representing an array factor of an M element sensor array and a second polynomial equation representing an array factor of an N element sensor array; determining arrangement of the M number of transmitting elements based on the first polynomial equation; and determining arrangement the N number of receiving elements based on the second polynomial equation, wherein K=M×N, or K≧max(M, N).

2

2. The method of designing the detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the desired polynomial equation is expressed as ∑ k = 0 K - 1 ⁢ z k , wherein z=exp(−j2π(d/λ)sin(θ)), j: Imaginary unit, d: Standard sensor distance, λ: Wavelength of a carrier signal, and θ: Variable representing an arbitrary angle within a measurement range.

3

3. The method of designing the detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein an element z m , where m is an integer, of the first polynomial equation corresponds to each transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements; the M number of transmitting elements are arranged so as to provide a distance of m×d between the transmitting element corresponding to z 0 and the transmitting element corresponding to z m according to the first polynomial equation; an element z n , where n is an integer, of the second polynomial equation corresponds to each receiving element of the N number of receiving elements; and the N number of receiving elements are arranged so as to provide a distance of n×d between the receiving element corresponding to z 0 and the receiving element corresponding to z n according to the second polynomial equation.

4

4. The method of designing the detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between a first transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements and any one receiving element of the N number of receiving elements is βd; a distance between a second transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements and any one receiving element of the N number of receiving elements is βd; and a distance between other mutually adjacent elements is d or an integral multiple of d, wherein α+β=1.

5

5. The method of designing the detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between a first receiving element of the N number of receiving elements and any one transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements is βd; a distance between a second receiving element of the N number of receiving elements and any one transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements is βd; and a distance between other mutually adjacent elements is d or an integral multiple of d, wherein α+β=1.

6

6. A computer readable recording medium that records a program for designing a detection and ranging apparatus having an M number of transmitting elements and an N number of receiving elements, the program causing a computer to execute: a procedure for decomposing a desired polynomial equation representing an array factor of a K element sensor array into a first polynomial equation representing an array factor of an M element sensor array and a second polynomial equation representing an array factor of an N element sensor array; a procedure for determining arrangement of the M number of transmitting elements based on the first polynomial equation; and determining arrangement of the N number of receiving elements based on the second polynomial equation, wherein K=M×N, or K≧max(M, N).

7

7. A detection and ranging apparatus comprising: an M number of transmitting elements transmitting a probe signal; an N number of receiving elements receiving an echo signal from an object; and a calculation unit calculating a direction where the object is located using output signals of the N number of receiving elements, wherein a distance between a first transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements and any one receiving element of the N number of receiving elements is βd; a distance between a second transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements and any one receiving element of the N number of receiving elements is βd; and a distance between other mutually adjacent elements is d or an integral multiple of d, wherein α+β=1.

8

8. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the N number of receiving elements are spaced apart at a distance d to configure a receiving element array; an L 1 number of transmitting elements including the first transmitting element are arranged outside one of the receiving element arrays; and an L 2 number of transmitting elements including the second transmitting element are arranged outside the other one of the receiving element arrays, wherein L 1 +L 2 =M.

9

9. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the N number of receiving elements are each spaced apart by a distance d; and the M number of transmitting elements are each spaced apart by N×d.

10

10. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein one of the N number of receiving elements is arranged between the first transmitting element and the second transmitting element.

11

11. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the M number of transmitting elements and the N number of receiving elements are provided as a plurality of sensor elements including a transmitting and receiving shared element.

12

12. A detection and ranging apparatus comprising: an M number of transmitting elements transmitting a probe signal; an N number of receiving elements receiving an echo signal form an object; and a calculation unit calculating a direction where the object is located using output signals of the N number of receiving elements, wherein a distance between a first receiving element of the N number of receiving elements and any one transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements is βd; a distance between a second receiving element of the N number of receiving elements and any one transmitting element of the M number of transmitting elements is βd; and a distance between other mutually adjacent elements is d or an integral multiple of d, wherein α+β=1.

13

13. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the M number of transmitting elements are each spaced apart at a distance d to configure a transmitting element array; an L 1 number of receiving elements including the first receiving element are arranged outside one of the transmitting element arrays; and an L 2 number of receiving elements including the second receiving element are arranged outside the other one of the transmitting element arrays, wherein L 1 +L 2 =N.

14

14. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the M number of transmitting elements are each spaced apart by a distance d; and the N number of receiving elements are each spaced apart by M×d.

15

15. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein one of the N number of receiving elements is arranged between the first transmitting element and the second transmitting element.

16

16. The detection and ranging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the M number of transmitting elements and the N number of receiving elements are provided as a plurality of sensor elements including a transmitting and receiving shared element.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

December 18, 2009

Publication Date

August 30, 2011

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